Kawlata (Maltese Vegetable and Pork Soup)

Instructions

If you are using salt-cured gammon, soak it in cold water overnight to draw out the salt. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and scald the ham hock or trotter in it for 10 minutes, then lift it out and throw the water away.

Refill the pot with fresh water and bring it to the boil. Return the hock or trotter along with the sausages, chops and pork belly, gammon or bacon, lower the heat, and cook for a few minutes while you skim off the scum.

Once no more scum rises, lift all the meats out of the pot. Keep both the meats and the cooking water, since you will need them later.

In a clean pot over medium heat, cook the chopped onions in a little oil until soft and wilted, without letting them brown.

Add the cabbage, potatoes, kohlrabi, pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots and celery leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the diluted tomato paste and return the meats to the pot. Pour in some of the reserved cooking water, using less for a thick one-dish stew and more for a soupy first course.

Simmer over moderately low heat until the meats are tender. Five minutes before the end, taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir in the chopped parsley.

For a single course, serve it chunky with crusty bread. For two courses, serve the soup first, then slice the meats and serve them warm on their own or with a little light tomato sauce. A small amount of rice can be cooked in the soup if you like, though it is hardly needed.